LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WAVE) — A Louisville mother has filed a lawsuit against a Louisville Texas Roadhouse restaurant after claiming an employee shamed her for breastfeeding.
The issue went viral last week after the mother, Sadie Durbin, posted her story to Facebook.
She spoke with WAVE 3 News, our sister station, and told reporters that she was having dinner at the restaurant on Thursday evening with her family. The problems began, she said, when she decided to nurse her 7-week-old daughter.
“She had been nursing for maybe about five minutes, and the manager came up and he had one of those big black napkins,” Durbin said. “He rushed up and was shaking his head and said, ‘Ma’am we’re getting a lot of complaints and we are going to need you to cover up.’”
The company told WAVE 3 News that misinformation is being circulated about the incident.
Durbin says the employee leaned in with the napkin over her and her child in an attempt to place it on the child’s head. She has filed a lawsuit against the company claiming emotional distress, assault, negligent training and asks for punitive damages.
Texas Roadhouse Vice President of Communications Travis Doster told WAVE that the company had a good meeting with Louisville La Leche members after the incident and understand the employee mishandled it. However, Doster says the man is a good person who only offered a napkin.
“He meant no ill will and he did not know the law.” Doster continued, “He did not understand what he was doing and how it would be taken, so I would not characterize that as assault. I know some early Facebook posts said he threw a napkin, in our statement we say he politely offered, ‘Can I get you a cover-up?'”
The company maintains after publicly admitting the employee handled the situation wrong and that they’ve tried to reach out and apologize.
